I'm headed to North Sulawesi this year (trip split (2:1) between Lembeh and Bangka) and I'm looking for some input on my macro setup, specifically for shooting critters in Lembeh.

I'm shooting a full frame camera (Canon 5D2) with the Canon 100mm macro. From everything I've read, 60mm macro is the go-to macro for Lembeh. I used to shoot the Canon 60mm macro on my 20D, but it won't work on my full frame 5D2. Initially I was thinking of getting a shorter macro (possibly Sigma 50) but then realized that my 100mm macro on full frame is roughly equivalent to 60mm on a 1.4x crop sensor camera. So perhaps I'm already in the focal length sweet spot for Lembeh macro shooting? My question is, where do I go from here? Shorter macro or super macro?

I'm considering getting the Sigma 50mm macro for froggies, fish portraits, rhinopias, etc., but I'm concerned that I'll be missing out on super macro with only 100mm on full frame. I'm also a little concerned about short working distance with the Sig 50 on FF.

If I decide to expand my macro capabilities on the long end, I see my options as follows:

1. Sigma 150mm macro
2. Current Canon 100 macro + 1.4x TC

Also considering getting a wet diopter (Subsee) to use on the 100 or in addition to the 100 + 1.4x TC.

Just looking for some input from experienced Lembeh shooters (or full frame shooters) as to whether I should go shorter or longer on the macro end. I don't want to bring 3 macro lenses, but can be convinced to bring 2 if the Sig 150 is a better option that the Canon 100 + TC.

100mm+subsee should do it for your supermacro work, unless you wanna shoot seriously tiny things (isopods, skeleton shrimps, hairy shrimp etc) you wont need a teleconverter, also the diopter option leaves you some more flexibility in case a nice little hairy frogfish decides to put up an appearance!

With the 100mm you should be able to get rhinopias (face shots, not full body), medium sized frogfish and stuff like that, but most likely its gonna be some pretty tight shots with not a lot of the surrounding environment captured in the frame.

The 50mm would for sure come in handy for the somewhat bigger subjects, of course the lighting is hard if you wanna try and get 1:1 macro out of a lens like that, because of the close focus.

My reasoning is that you would most likely use the +10 most of the time, you know how it is, if you go supermacro, why not go all the way.
if you find something tiny then maybe you would want to stack those two diopters the +5 and the +10 on top of each other to get some more magnification, then I would rather have the +10 on there as standard and the +5 in a nice and protective neoprene pocket (i use thigh pockets on my wetsuit).

Keep in mind that if you want to stack these diopters then you need to cut an old neoprene sock/glove to fit them on to each other as there is no thread in the front of the subsee diopters for stacking.

Oh yearh, and if you start sacking +15's on a 100mm on a DSLR, you are gonna have a seriously small DOF, a lot of people say use manual focus and then rock back and forth until you get the composition you want. I however prefer to leave it on AF and then use the AF lock+rocking back/forth if the autofocus keeps searching. You might wanna get yourself a focus light of some sort to assist with focusing if you plan to go 100mm and +15.

Keep in mind that if you want to stack these diopters then you need to cut an old neoprene sock/glove to fit them on to each other as there is no thread in the front of the subsee diopters for stacking.

Thanks, that's good to know. I guess my dive buddy gets my older Subsee. Let me highjack this thread. We will be in Lembeh in May. For the Oly E-5, what macro? The 60 is 120mm FX and the 45 is 90. I'm a a little wimpish with the wet diopters and will likely us the 5x. TIA.Bob

For me, Lembeh has never been about the tiny, tiny. I think it is more unique for the large amounts of bigger creatures: frogfish, cephalopods, weird scorpionfish etc - and these are very much 60mm subjects in FX.

This page on my website describes my last trip to Lembeh (in 2009), which was before subsets, but it was a full frame trip. There is a paragraph on the lenses I took. http://www.amustard....=lmb09_gal_temp

Alex, I really like what you did with the lighting in the bottom image (wonderpus) on the link you provided. So it sounds like you took a 60, 105, and 150 macro to Lembeh and shot all 3 on a full frame sensor camera? It's a given that my 100 will get the most use, but did you find the 50 or 150 to be more useful when you were there? From your comment referring to Lembeh as a destination for the "bigger small stuff," I'm guessing the 60? My main concern is if my 100 on full frame will suffice for pygmy seahorses, or would the 150 be better here?

Has anyone used the Sigma 70 mm/2.8 macro on a FF camera ? I'm moving to a 6D or 5D for "surface photo reasons". I have the 100mm L macro, but would also like to have something with less mm and the 70 mm has good reviews. The macro side of FF is giving me some headace as I have read that the DOF is much less on FF ( I currently use a 550D w. 60 and 100 mm macro). Any comments on that ? Has anybody had second thoughts after moving to FF ?

For me, Lembeh has never been about the tiny, tiny. I think it is more unique for the large amounts of bigger creatures: frogfish, cephalopods, weird scorpionfish etc - and these are very much 60mm subjects in FX.

This page on my website describes my last trip to Lembeh (in 2009), which was before subsets, but it was a full frame trip. There is a paragraph on the lenses I took.http://www.amustard....=lmb09_gal_temp

Alex

I love looking at your work. I have the Oly 12-50; It seems to me this lens in the flat port with the manual zoom and a Subsee 5x should do the trick. Likely a 60 mm as a back up and the 7-14 for reefs up North. Thanks.Bob

I use FF all the time here. I have the 60mm shimmed with a 12mm extension tube for some close work. A 100mm as a standard go to lens (much prefer the hundred on FF compared to the 7D). I use the 100mm with teleconverters (1.4x and 2x) and also with subsee +5 and +10.

The 100mm with a +10 subsee is a very versatile setup on a FF camera.

Cheers,

Simon

PS. With regards to Simppu - considering moving back to crop frame; i still have the 7D and i do sometimes use it for super macro, which it is fantastic for. I do sometimes have that feeling of WTF am i using FF for. But then my wife points out to me that the 7D is her camera now, so i shut up!

I just bought a new 105. I used the 60 on DX but it didn't cut it for me on FX. I used a very old 105 with DX on my last visit to Lembeh. So I've put my money where my mouth is. I hope I'm right!

I buy my own photographic kit. Diving equipment manufacturers and diving services suppliers get even-handed treatment from me whether they choose to advertise in the publications I write for or not. All the equipment I get on loan is returned as soon as it is finished with.Did you know you can now get Diver Mag as an iPad/Android app?

I just got back from 9 days diving in Lembeh. I was shooting a D800, and took 2 lenses (60mm and 105mm). I never used the 60mm, and there was only one time I wished that I had a 60mm on instead of the 105mm (Giant Frogfish). I used a 10+ subsee diopter on almost every dive.